Trench War Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Game components
  • Game board
  • Troop cards
  • Bonus cards
  • Markers
• Victory
  • 'Lack of action' rule
• Game set-up
  • Game board during play
• Game sequence
• Troop cards
  • Troop type
  • Abilities
  • Damage table
• Place a Troop card
• Troop card movement
• Troop card attack
  • Example: a Poilus attacks a Landser in a trench box
• Bonus cards
  • Example: using an Artillery Barrage
  • Example 2
• Place a Bonus card
• Optional card (Bunker) and rules for experienced players
• Game notes

Game components

Game board

The game board (see diagram below) represents lines of French and German trenches, with no man's land areas between each. From top to bottom, these are:

• French rear trench
• No man's land
• French forward trench
• No man's land
• German forward trench
• No man's land
• German rear trench

The board also has a Command points track.

Each of the rectangular boxes on the board is deemed to be adjacent to the boxes directly and diagonally above and below it, and those immediately to its left and right. For the purposes of the game, each row of three boxes across the width of the board is referred to as a 'line', and each row of seven boxes down the length of the board is a 'column'.

Troop cards

These include infantry, support weapons, armor and aircraft.

Each Troop card shows: a Command Point cost, a Health value, a Type, a Damage table, and Abilities.

Bonus cards

These provide special benefits to your forces during the battle.

Each Bonus card shows: a Command Point cost, a Card effect, and an Attribute.

Markers

• Damage markers: These are placed onto Troop cards during battle to keep track of accumulated damage.
• Warning tokens: These are used to keep track of warnings given as part of the "Lack of action" rule.
• Command point marker: It is used to count the consumption of Command Points (CPs) during each turn.

Victory

Victory is achieved as soon as your opponent's Troop deck is empty. Each player's deck will be gradually depleted as their forces are destroyed in battle, forcing them to lay down reinforcements to defend their trenches. Also, whenever you control* an opponent's trench box at the end of your turn, they must discard cards from their troop deck: one card for a forward trench box and two cards for a rear trench box.

* Armor and Aircraft are not deemed to control a trench, and hence do not trigger this rule.

'Lack of action' rule

If either player chooses not to attack with a Troop card during their turn, they must take a "Warning" token. Starting with the third token, the player must then discard one Troop card on each turn in which they do not attack.

Game set-up

Before commencing play, set up the game board and arrange your Troop and Bonus card decks separately on your side of the board, as shown below, with a space set aside for discarded cards.

Each player then draws eight Troop cards, then selects and places six of them face down in any of the forward or rear trench boxes of their side, with a limit of two cards per box. If placing two cards in a single box, each must be of a different type (e.g. one infantry and one machine gun). Each player then flips their cards over simultaneously to reveal them, and draws a further six cards (troops or bonuses) into their hand to make eight once more. The first player to finish the placement of his 6 troop cards will have the first turn of the game.

Game board during play

The printed set-up diagram labels the play areas: French Troop cards draw pile, French Bonus cards draw pile, French discard pile, French bonus cards, Troop cards played (on the board), Gameboard, PC/CP (command points track), German Bonus cards draw pile, German Troop cards draw pile, and German discard pile.

Game sequence

Starting with the person who finished placing their six face-down cards first, players take turns to perform a number of possible actions. Each player receives six Command Points (CPs) per turn, which they can spend on any combination of the following:

• Discard up to eight cards (1CP cost, regardless of the number of cards discarded)
• Place a Troop card (by paying the CP cost shown in the top-left of the card)
• Move a Troop card (1CP cost)
• Attack with a Troop card (1CP cost)
• Place a Bonus card (paying the CP cost on the card)

Actions may be taken in any order the player wishes, until they either have no remaining CPs to spend, or choose to pass until their next turn. After completing this step, they must then check whether any of their cards control the opponent's trenches. The opponent must then discard cards from the top of their own Troop deck, according to the rules given in the Victory section on page 4. Finally, the active player must complete their own hand back up to eight cards, drawing any combination of cards from the top of the Troop and/or Bonus decks. Throughout the game, players may not turn over and examine the cards before choosing them, but may examine their previous draw before deciding whether to pick their next card from the Troop or Bonus deck.

Troop cards

Each Troop card is printed with a name, type, CP cost, health, abilities and damage table. No box on the game board may contain more than two stacked Troop cards (each of which must be a different troop type), and Troop cards cannot be stacked in the same box as an opposing Troop card.

• The CP cost shown on the card is used for deployment (i.e. playing the card). Movement or attack always costs 1CP per card. No action may be carried out unless the player has sufficient remaining CPs left over from previous actions.
• Health indicates the number of hit points (damage) the Troop card can take before being destroyed. As soon as a card suffers damage equal to this value, it must be moved directly into the discard pile.

Troop type

The troop type of each card is indicated by a silhouette.

• Infantry (icon: crossed rifles): represents formations of infantrymen.
• Armor (icon: tank): represents armored vehicles, such as tanks. They cannot control or benefit from the effect of trenches.
• Support (icon: grenade-like weapon): represents infantry support weapons (machine guns, mortars, flamethrowers).
• Aircraft (icon: plane): represents flying units. They cannot control or benefit from the effect of trenches.

Abilities

The abilities of each card are indicated by icons or text. The most common abilities are indicated by symbols listed below:

• No Man's Land (icon: red crossed-out "X" on a no man's land marking): those Troop cards cannot attack if they are located in a No man's land box – only from trenches.
• Protection (icon: shield): Damage to a Troop Card (Infantry or Support) stacked with a card showing this icon is halved. This does not apply to a Troop card in trenches.
• Counter-attack (icon: crosshair over a figure): after an attack was made on a box where there was a unit with this ability, it may immediately make a free counter-attack against the opponent's Troop card, provided it has survived the initial attack (whether or not it was the target of the attack). The use of this capability does not then generate a further counter-attack by the enemy.
• Observer (icon: binoculars): this Troop card doubles the damage inflicted by an infantry Troop card stacked with it when attacking an adjacent box.

Damage table

This part of the card is used to determine damage to enemy cards, according to the type of target. The columns correspond to the status of the target, depending on whether it is in a trench or no man's land (as shown on the cards, Armor and Aircraft are always considered to be in no-man's-land, even if their cards are in a trench box). The damage inflicted may be further modified by terrain, Bonus cards or abilities.

The printed key to the damage table reads: 1 No Man's Land column; 2 Trench column; 3 Troop type attacked; 4 -4, -2: Damage dealt; 5 X: No attack allowed.

The example Poilus (French infantry) card's table, as printed, reads:

Troop type attacked	No Man's Land column	Trench column
Infantry	-4	-2
Support	-4	-2
Armor	X (no attack allowed)	(blank)
Aircraft	-2	(blank)

Editor's note: the Trench column is blank for Armor and Aircraft in the printed table. This is consistent with the rule above that Armor and Aircraft are always considered to be in no man's land, so the trench column never applies to them.

Place a Troop card

When players place a Troop card on the board (by spending the number of CPs indicated on the card), it must be deployed in a rear trench box. Deployment directly into a forward trench is only possible during game set-up or card abilities/events. There can be only two Troop cards in a box and they must be of different types.

Troop card movement

A single Troop card can be moved to any adjacent box by spending 1CP. This action can be repeated multiple times for the same Troop card unless specified on the card, in order to move longer distances during a single turn. Any Troop card that starts in a rear trench of his camp may take one extra free movement after paying the initial 1CP.

Note: Crapouillot and Minenwerfer cards can only make one movement per turn. They cannot therefore spend multiple CPs for this action nor benefit from free movement when they move from the rear trench of their camp.

It is possible to simultaneously exchange the positions of two Troop cards located in adjacent boxes by spending the necessary CPs for each card.

Troop card attack

A Troop card may attack an opponent's Troop card within range by spending 1CP. Each Troop card can make no more than one attack per game turn. By default, attacks have a range of one box. The ability to attack beyond adjacent squares is specified on the Troop card (e.g. Crapouillot). Attacks can be made in any direction.

When declaring an attack with a Troop card, you must designate an opponent's Troop card as the target, and the attack does not affect any Troop card stacked with the target unless specified by a card ability or effect (artillery bonus cards are a good example). To perform the attack, refer to the damage table of your Troop card, then inflict the damage corresponding to the type of target and its status (whether in trenches or no man's land). Damage can be modified by terrain, Bonus cards or the abilities of the Troop cards stacked with the attacker or target. Modifiers are cumulative unless otherwise specified. Place damage markers on the target card, or remove it immediately to the discard pile if the total damage equals or exceeds the card's health number.

Once the attack damage is applied the attack is complete, unless the target has survived and has the ability to counter-attack, in which case it can do so without expending any CP.

Example: a Poilus attacks a Landser in a trench box

The German infantry is adjacent to the French infantry and therefore within range. We then look at the French infantry damage table and refer to the infantry silhouette in the trench (top-right) corner of the table. The German infantry therefore suffers 2 damage and the appropriate marker is placed on the German Troop card, which ends the attack action.

Bonus cards

Each Bonus card is characterized by a CP cost, an effect, and possibly one or more attributes. By default, Bonus cards are used during the player's turn and discarded at the end of the turn.

Attribute icons are used to specify the conditions of use for the card:

• Persistent (icon: upward arrow in a circle): The Bonus card is 'persistent', meaning that it remains in play from one turn to the next. You may discard it at the end of a turn.
• Attack (icon: crosshair): These Bonus cards are used for an Attack action, so follow the rules for attacking Troop cards.
• Trap (icon: trap symbol): These Bonus cards are traps, so they follow two exceptions. Instead of being used in the owner's turn, they can optionally be placed face down and used during the opposing player's turn. A trap card is not discarded as long as it is face down.

Note: it does not prevent the player from using these cards during their own turn, except for the cards that are a reaction to opponent action.

Also, if the use of a trap card results in the destruction of a Troop card that declared an action, the active player does not spend the CP cost for the action that could not be completed. Once the card is placed face down there is no additional cost for using it.

Note: a revealed trap card is discarded at the end of the turn, except if it is also a persistent card, in which case it remains in effect (like Gas Masks).

Example: using an Artillery Barrage

The French player decides to play an Artillery Barrage* Bonus card in preparation for an attack on an opponent's trench box containing an A7V tank and a heavy machine gun. The Artillery Barrage affects both Troop cards. The A7V does not benefit from trench protection and, as shown in the table, suffers four damage, which is enough to destroy it. The machine gun benefits from the trench, but not from the protection ability (which is not cumulative with the trenches and is ignored by the artillery). As shown on the table, the machine gun suffers two damage, which must be recorded with a damage marker. It cannot counter-attack, because it cannot target the artillery (which is not a Troop card). The Artillery Barrage Bonus card is then discarded at the end of the turn.

* Not to be confused with the Artillery Strike Bonus card, which is aimed at a single Troop card but is a Trap card.

Example 2

A French FT17 tank declares an attack on a German Landser, but the German player decides to reveal their PAK Bonus card, which is a Trap. The Trap card destroys the FT17, so its attack on the Landser is not carried out. The FT17 owner is not required to pay the CP cost for the tank's attack, since it could not be carried out.

Place a Bonus card

During their turn, a player may place a Bonus card by spending its CP cost. Its effect must be used during the turn, except for Trap cards, which can be turned over and used during the opponent's turn or another personal turn. Players get five slots to place bonus cards during a turn. Unless it is a persistent Bonus or a hidden trap card, a bonus card is discarded at the end of the turn.

Example: If a player has two persistent Bonus cards at the beginning of their turn and one trap Bonus card in play, they may only play a maximum of two additional bonus cards during that turn.

Optional card (Bunker) and rules for experienced players

The Bunker card is a game mode that allows you to make the most of the different abilities of Troop cards.

The bunker is a stronghold to be placed on the center of the gameboard (the central box of the no man's land between the two advanced trenches of the countries).

Each player takes their entire deck of Troop cards but chooses a draw pile with only 8 bonus cards.

The bunker is considered to be a trench with the bunker bonus card permanently applied (the attacking cards inflict half of the trench damage).

The country that controls the bunker causes its opponent to lose one Troop card per turn, but its opponent can increase its bonus card draw pile by 2 cards.

All other rules in the basic version remain unchanged.

Game notes

• Victory is achieved by emptying the opponent's Troop card deck, which is mainly accomplished by occupying their trenches to trigger discards. Keep in mind that Troop cards are the essential resource of the game, since you cannot win without them, but each Troop card you draw brings you closer to defeat. Your careful management of the deck is therefore as important as your ability to use your troops effectively.
• Troop cards come in a variety of forms, and it is helpful to understand the role of each one. As the most common type of troop, infantry are the backbone of your army. Both Poilus and Landser form a versatile force that can defend as well as attack. The German player has a specialized infantry with the Stosstruppen, which is a shock troop that is skilled in trench assault. The French player has the Tirailleur (soldiers recruited in French colonies), which can reinforce their troops in critical moments.
• Support forces carry special weapons that can each support your infantry in different circumstances. The heavy machine gun is a highly effective defensive weapon, able to fend off enemy attacks on its box. The minenwerfer and crapouillot (mortars) provide ranged support, capable of hitting enemy trenches from the safety of your own dugouts. Flamethrower is a specialized weapon for clearing trenches, allowing no protection to their occupants. Remember that apart from the Flamethrower, your Support Troop cards cannot attack from no man's land, so they are particularly vulnerable when attacked there.
• Armor provides powerful vehicles that are resistant to infantry attack, and can provide cover for attacking troops accompanying them across no man's land. Tanks are mainly vulnerable only to other tanks and certain Bonus cards. Their main flaw is their inability to control opposing trenches.
• Aircraft are versatile units with the ability to provide offensive support by giving a damage bonus to any infantry stacked with them. Very few bonus cards affect them, but as with tanks, they cannot control opposing trenches.
• It is up to you to find the right balance between defense and attack, and the card combinations that will give you the most effective synergies. To do this you must take into account the other deck at your disposal – the Bonus cards. However, Bonus cards will not cause you to lose the game if the deck is empty, and remember that it is impossible to win the game without troops on the board.
• Bonus cards offer many possibilities for creative attack and defense to outwit your opponent. Artillery cards will be a powerful tool to prepare your offensives, due to their unlimited range and ability to hit multiple targets in a single attack, hence requiring fewer attacks and less CP cost from your Troop cards to progress.